Uno a Uno

Before our recent match in Memphis, Marc Gasol approached me with a sly smile. “Rudy!” he cried. “Do you know the difference between a man and a woman?”

Perplexed, I answered, “I can’t conceive!”

Marc’s jaw dropped. He said, “I can not match your wit, El Machetero! I was going to say ‘Only a man can survive in Memphis,’ but I retract this punching line.” 


A wise decision, my friend! It smacked of the weak sauce. And smackings of weak sauce should be avoided at all costs, as this defender of Yao Ming ascertained!

Although manliness on Mallorca was often defined by all-night flamenco dancing contests and knife fights, the truth is this: All that I needed to learn about toughness on the parquets comes from the cinematic epic Uno a Uno... starring Robby Benson as a character not unlike myself! While we players suffer misfortunes, so too do our fans...like this unlucky fellow in Memphis, who was chosen from the crowdings to attempt a dunk from a trampoline!

Fotos from the Oregonian and SI Vault.